Friday, September 26, 2008

disneyland/palin


Disneyland and Palin in the same post? Not as counterintuitive as you might think. As Matt Damon recently said, a Sarah Palin presidency would be like a "really bad Disney movie." I just don't get the Palin appeal. Among her many other negatives, the fact that she had not traveled outside the U.S. until last year proves that she lacks any semblance of intellectual curiosity, in my opinion. Hear more of my and others' opinions on Palin in the following podcast from a discussion on Pirate Cat Radio (it's nearish the end of the California Music Box podcast on 9/2/08.)

Now, for Disneyland. Just went with the family, and I have to say, the old classics are still my favorites -- e.g., the Pirates of the Caribbean. Loved me some Tiki Room too. Unfortunately, both the Haunted House and It's a Small World were closed for renovation. Did not love, however, the bad acid trip of the Pooh Bear ride. Anticipating a lovely and quiet tour through the land of honey and flowers with Pooh and his innocent companions, we were instead treated to outsized and fluorescent-colored panels thwapping towards us as our little honey car made its way through a Pooh nightmare. Not my photo, but this gives an idea of the freakishly psychedelic nature of what's supposed to be a kiddie ride. I'm pretty sure I sustained permanent hearing loss as well. Guess those ride designers try to appeal to a wider audience than the toddler set. Either that, or they enjoy the occasional mushroom.